Maine Hits Single-Day Record of New COVID-19 Cases for 2nd Straight Day

The Maine Center for Disease Control reported 925 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, a new single day record for the state. The daily total passed Wednesday's record count of 867 new infections.

There were no COVID-19 deaths in either Wednesday's or Thursday's CDC report. Aroostook County added 55 new cases on Thursday, for a total of 865 for the month of September, or an average of about 29 per day.

Statewide, there were 13,700 new COVID-19 infections reported in September, the most of any month since the pandemic began. About 20% of the new cases this month have been in Penobscot County, which also accounted for one-third of Maine's COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

Of the 182 new hospitalizations in the state this month, 67 of the patients were in Penobscot County. The Maine CDC reported 88 people died in September with the disease, including 29 in Penobscot County and 14 in Aroostook County.

Maine continues to have one of the highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S., but the rates vary greatly from county to county. The state's vaccination dashboard shows that 73.7% of eligible residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated. The rate ranges from a low of 60.1% in Somerset County to a high of 85.3% in Cumberland County.

New Brunswick Update

New Brunswick Public Health on Wednesday reported 84 new coronavirus cases and one death. New Brunswick has 657 active COVID-19 infections, with 40 people in hospital, including 16 in intensive care. Public Health says that beginning Friday, Oct. 1st, a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine will be available for seniors living in long-term care homes who have already received two doses of a vaccine.